What a wonderful weekend at the French Academy! Students made crepes on Friday, attended a dance on Saturday, and engaged in water activities on Sunday! The kids were also excited to be able to call home, and are looking forward to doing so again on Thursday. The weather has been toasty in Poultney, but the kids are staying cool and having fun. For lunch today, students had fresh green beans, a vegetable stew, roasted herb chicken, and an array of other fruits and vegetables! How fitting for the theme of the week in classes: Food!

Level 1 students are learning to identify and name 5-10 food items that they like to eat, as well as describe what different foods taste like. They’re getting so good at stringing together sentences and communicating with each other! It’s amazing how much the kids can learn in one week.

In Level 2 classes, students are also focusing on directions and shopping. Today, they learned how to read and understand maps from Francophone countries and their home countries as well. They also learned how to give simple directions on how to get from one place to another and what to do at each location. During class, they went outside and participated in a blindfolded scavenger hunt! Tomorrow, they’ll be learning how to ask and answer questions about food (taste, preparation, ingredients, etc.)

Level 3 students have been engaging in lots of discussions about culinary culture. They can now understand audio recordings and video about everyday life in Francophone countries. Tomorrow, they’ll learn how to give instructions on how to do a task in Francophone countries that may be different from a task in their own countries (e.g. mailing packages, buying movie theatre tickets, etc.) So many of these Level 3 students are actively engaging in conversations and telling everyone about what they’re learning!

In Level 4 classes, students are primarily studying eating habits, customs, and values. They can watch, read, and listen to information about nutritional and health recommendations from public announcements in Francophone countries, and summarize what was stated. Tomorrow, they’ll look at reports and personal statements about eating habits in the Francophone countries and share their interpretations of how they reflect values related to eating.

Students have now rotated into a different cultural exploration class than last week. Once again, these include:

Discussing the origin and colorful characters of the Guignol Puppet Theater in France. Students worked in small groups to write and perform a skit with their very own guignols!

Indulging in popular dishes, cheeses, and desserts in French cuisine

Exploring the world of French comic books! In this class, students were introduced to BD (comic book) culture in the Francophone world and created a portion of an original BD in groups.

Learning about beauty as a concept in the Francophone world!

Students studied the distinct culture of Bororo people from Niger and their unique cult of beauty and elegance.

Discovering French theater! Students learned about basic theater while focusing on the works of Molière. They also learned how to present and act out short scenes.

This afternoon and evening, students will be participating in a “Beach Day,” featuring inflatable pools, noodles, and other fun activities. Later, they will divide into clubs and study French, make bracelets, practice theatre skits, and just enjoy hanging out with each other.